Systems accessible through a network, such as the Internet, can be susceptible to overload due to various reasons. In many instances, too many concurrent attempts to access a system can overwhelm a system, causing various adverse effects. Depending on how, if at all, the system is configured to handle such overload conditions, the system may, for example, be unresponsive to additional attempts to access the system and/or cease operating entirely. Sometimes, system overload is caused without ill intention. The popularity of a website or other online service, for instance, may suddenly increase and a system supporting the website or other service may be unable to handle the sudden increase. In many instances, system overload has more nefarious purposes. Denial of service (DoS) attacks, for example, are frequently used by those with political or other activist agendas to damage the ability of a system to serve its intended purpose. Such attacks are often a particularly effective tool for attackers due to the relative ease at which they may be brought compared with the harm that they cause.